First game of SAGA

   So this past Saturday was our monthly game day for Clear Lake Area Wargamers' Society, or whatever it is we call ourselves these days. We had a low turnout, only seven guys, but we put on two games. On one table, an interesting Early War game of FOW pitting Japanese against British. On the other table, a three-sided SAGA battle between Vikings, Irish, and Norman warbands.

   I played in the SAGA game - a first time out for that ruleset for me. I had the Vikings. Jesse had the Normans, and Buddy ran his Irish. We borrowed Jim Johnson's figures and terrain. Each of us had a six point force. Mine broke down like this:

• 1 Warlord
• 1 Hearthguard unit of Berserkers (x4)
• 2 Hearthguard units (x4)
• 1 Warrior unit (x8)
• 1 Levy unit (melee x12)
• 1 Levy unit (slings x12)

   Essentially it was a 7-round free-for-all, but Buddy's Irish ended up in the middle of the table between Jesse's Norman knights and my Viking Hearthguard and Berserkers. The winner would be determined by a point system: 2 points for champions, 1 point for every hearthguard, 1/2 for each warrior, 1/3 for each levy. I ended up with 12.83 points of dead Irishmen on my side of the table. Buddy had 13 points of Vikings and Normans on his. Of course, since he also lost a lot of points to Jesse, there wasn't much left of his 'winning' force.

   I had two units that never got involved in the game at all. Luckily, it was my Spear Levy and some Warriors. The levy was no loss, but it would have been nice to get those warriors in on the fight - it would have helped kill more Irish! My Hearthguard and Berserkers really took their toll on those Irish as it was. My slingers fired off two shots, for virtually no effect.

   In all, I had a really good time, and the game went pretty quickly, especially considering it was a first time out for both Jesse and I. The rules are pretty simple, and I like the battle card mechanic. It gives each different faction some flavor, and injects a bit of luck and strategy both - luck in the SAGA dice, strategy in the allocation of them.

   So I have dug out some old Viking figures that I just happened to have laying around, as one does, and started prepping them and cleaning them up. I don't have enough to make a warband, but it will give me a start. I'll have to get some Welsh, too.

   Please leave any helpful suggestions for vendors of 28mm figures suitable for SAGA warbands in the comments. That would be, um... helpful.

"Carthage must be destroyed."

Some Photos from 5/19

   These photos were taken at our monthly club gathering on 19 May 2012. We had some new folks show up, which was nice: Daniel, from the UK and newly arrived in Houston, with his wife, Tatiana, and Mike, a visitor from Baton Rouge. We had two games of FOW and one of Warrior (Ancients).

   My son Dane helped out with the Soviet side in one of the FOW games. So that is where I got the most photos. Sue me.

The Field: Soviets vs. Germans

The Soviet Wave attacks!

Ivan's flamethrowers destroy Hitlerite PaK 40s and infantry

Za Stalina! The Soviets take the hill...

A devastating counterattack ends with a dead Tiger, and
Ivan driven back off the hill with severe losses.

   The Warrior Ancients was more of a learning experience, getting familiar with the rules, than an actual game. But the figures were real purty...

Gerald's Arabs

More of Gerald's Arab horsemen

Byzantine cavalry

Left to Right: Dane, Tom, Jaden, Cody, Gerald, and John

    The other FOW game: a British night attack against a German-held town.

The British line prepares to push off.

British advance across cornfields

Nice half-track and crew - taking cover from British fire

Another crowd shot.

  We meet on third Saturdays and fifth Saturdays when they happen. Usually. If you're in the Houston area, and want to play something historical, let me know.

Troy... for sale!

   This was advertised on TMP (see here), and I thought it was so awesome, it needed to be showcased and supported. I mean, really? Freaking Travertine marble for the blocks on the walls? How cool is that? He's asking $425, and pickup at Historicon. If I wasn't flying in to the show, I'd be really tempted.

"There are 11' of walls/towers gates. Walls are 5" tall to top of parapet, 4" to walkway, 2.5" thick. 3 towers 8" tall, 6x6 wide with removable tops. 2 ramparts, 1 with removable floor. 2 gates. one with towers and hinged doors. Walls and towers are wood core with tile/ travertone stone masticked on and grouted. 10 buildings – foamboard / tile / wood, with removable roofs. everything on plywood bases."

 The whole city (I think)

Close up of one tower.

   You can see more pictures here.

Zhou Chinese Camp for FoG

   This is from the tournament last Saturday. The camp was just beautiful. My friend Gerald also has a great camp for his Syrian States army that I need to get a few snaps of out there.

   Ignore the peasant riff raff in front. Check out the silk shade for the general. Just awesome!

More Renaissance, and a Tournament's Results

   Work continues on my Thirty Years War army for Field of Glory Renaissance. The army is technically "Early German Catholic," but could be most any except for the banners. All of the figures are Old Glory.

Two field guns. Notice Zed in the background?

   I also took part in my first Field of Glory Ancients tournament. This was at Comicpalooza, here in Houston - a few pictures of which will be on my other blog, Victoria's Boys in Red, as they are mostly steampunk in nature. Anyway, I spent all day Saturday playing three games, using my friend Gerald's Komenan Byzantine army. My record was 1 - 2, for a 7th place finish out of eight players.

   I'll never play in another tournament. I hate the way people play in them. "I don't want to do this, but I'm going to anyway." I must have heard that a half dozen times. What a crock. If you don't want to do it, don't. If you are going to do something brutal, just do it and don't think you are going to excuse it with some meaningless words. Just like "In all due respect..." right before you say something incredibly disrespectful.

"Conan, what is best in life?"

  "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women."

  "Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand, a thief, a reaver, a slayer, with gigantic melancholies and gigantic mirth, to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet."

-The Phoenix on the Sword, Robert E. Howard
 
  Yeah, I am on something of a Conan kick. Which is odd, as I don't even play any Conan games. I think we are going to start a D&D 3.5 campaign again soon, once my buddy Jim returns home this month. Maybe I'll be a barbarian?
 
  More importantly, what army would you use for a FOG Ancients game? One thing I always liked about Conan was that magic was one of two things: immense and all-powerful but time consuming or quick and personal, but not likely to affect a battle's outcome. This means that essentially, magic is a non-entity on the battlefield.
 
  There is currently a Yahoo group with useable (I suppose - I have not tried them out) army lists for many Hyborean nations at: Field of Glory Fantasy. Yes, you have to join the group to look at them. But if you like them, join, download and then quit, like I plan to do.
 

 
   Is this another new project? Not yet. But maybe... 15mm Conan wargaming... it is so tempting!

Palmyrans Lose!

   I played a game of FOG with my monthly club today. Zach and I took the Palmyrans and Tom and Chris had the Sassanid Persians.

   The outcome was predictable: Palmyran forces in total disarray, Queen Zenobia fleeing for her life. Me, I blame a stupid mistake in the deployment of our forces. Never should have held those big heavy cataphracts in reserve...

   However, there were some really amusing spots in the battle, such as my camelry (Unprotected, Poor, Undrilled, Bow, Swordsmen) holding out against a cataphract charge (with the Persian CinC!) and then three rounds of melee. Those horses really don't like camels. Can't wait to see Tom's 'camel-phracts'...

   So, even though we lost, I had a really good time. I like playing with Zach, Tom and Chris (and the other gents at the club as well - they were involved in another game, Byzantines v. ??).